Brăila bridge over the Danube: Romania inaugurates one of Europe’s largest bridges

The Brăila bridge over the Danube, one of the largest suspension bridges in Europe, the largest over the Danube, and Romania's biggest infrastructure investment of the last 30 years, was officially inaugurated Thursday, July 6. Several state officials attended the ceremony, including president Klaus Iohannis, prime minister Marcel Ciolacu, Senate head Nicolae Ciucă, and transport minister Sorin Grindeanu.

The bridge, nicknamed Romania's Golden Gate, has a total length of 1,974.3 meters, with a main span of 1,120 m and two side spans of about 490 m and 365 m long. It connects the Black Sea ports and the Danube Delta with the rest of the country and with the wider Trans-European Transport Network.

According to Transport Secretary of State Ionel Scrioşteanu, the suspension bridge has been designed to have a lifespan of 120 years. He also said that drivers would not pay a fee to cross the bridge for five years.

"Today we are living a special moment for the infrastructure in Romania," transport minister Grindeanu said at the inauguration ceremony, adding that the new bridge is the first road connection between Tulcea and Brăila counties.

In his turn, president Klaus Iohannis stated: "It is a great pleasure for me to participate in the inauguration of this bridge. It is the largest investment in Romania in the last 30 years, the third largest bridge in Europe. […] Special thanks must also go to the partners in Japan and Italy."

Also present at the opening, prime minister Marcel Ciolacu said, quoted by Digi24: "Romania sends a clear message to Europe: we want, we know and especially we can build our destiny as a strong and worthy European nation." He added: "It is the result of teamwork, of international cooperation. A Japanese consortium worked with dozens of Romanian subcontractors."

Works on the new bridge, the largest over the Danube, took about five years, and the updated value of the project exceeds RON 2.5 billion (over EUR 500 million). The EU contribution to this project amounts to EUR 363 million from cohesion policy funds.

"2 km long, 38 meters above the water and with four lanes, this suspended bridge is the largest in Romania and the largest over the Danubeand, overall,the third largest suspension bridge in the EU," the European Commission said in a press release